He has a spatial ability and saves three children on his escape route.

Chapter 27 Descending the Mountain Overnight

The injured bison was estimated to weigh around 3 pounds. Wen Zibai and his companions were worried that the bison's injured leg wouldn't be able to withstand walking for a long time, so the three of them decided to carry the injured bison back to the cave.

Wen Yuxia led the calf, while Wen Zibai, Wen Zihua, and Li Xiang together carried the bison with its injured leg. The group slowly made their way back.

"Hong'er, tonight's meat is up to you," Wen Yuxia said with a grin.

Wen Yunhong shouted spiritedly, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" He then pulled a handful of pebbles from his pocket and sharply scanned his surroundings.

After Wen Yunhong had killed five pheasants, Wen Yuxia told him to stop and gave two of them to Li Xiang.

Then he said, “Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle Li Xiang, that wild ox belongs to the three of you, and this calf belongs to me and Hong’er. You have no objections, right?”

Li Xiang said gratefully, "No objection, thank you, Daya." The Wen brothers also said they had no objection.

Wen Zibo spoke up, "Third brother, Li Xiang, what do you two think we should do with the bison?"

Only two households in Dawan Village own cattle: one is Village Chief Ding's household, and the other is Butcher Zhu's household. Wen Zibai wants to raise wild cattle, but he doesn't know what Wen Zihua and Li Xiang think.

Wen Zihua chuckled and said, "Keep them. Having oxen will save a lot of effort when clearing land."

Wen Zihua clears half an acre of wasteland every year. With cattle, he can clear more wasteland next year. He thinks raising cattle is worthwhile.

Li Xiang remained silent. As the strongest laborer in the family, he also wished for an ox to help with plowing the fields. However, he was already twenty years old, and his parents still couldn't afford to send him to get married.

He struggled for a long time between getting married and raising cattle, but in the end, his desire to get married won out. A two-year-old draft ox was worth 50 taels of silver, and wild oxen should be much more expensive than domesticated draft oxen.

Li Xiang said cautiously, "Second Brother Wen, Third Brother Wen, would it be alright if I sold you my share for 15 taels of silver?"

Li Xiang only asked for 15 taels of silver, so the Wen brothers clearly got a good deal. However, they couldn't afford to each contribute 7.5 taels of silver.

So Wen Zibo said seriously, "Li Xiang, we brothers can't take advantage of you. If you really don't want to raise the wild ox, then sell it and split the money."

"Second Uncle, you and Third Uncle could partner up to buy a calf that's only a few months old. They can raise it until next year and then train it to plow. A year and a half old is enough for it to plow. Only domesticated oxen can plow; taming wild oxen takes a lot of time, and then they have to train them to plow..."

Wen Zibo laughed and said, "Da Ya is the smartest. Third brother, let's buy a calf together and raise it."

“Okay,” Wen Zihua nodded in agreement. It was better not to partner with Li Xiang’s family in raising cattle, to avoid Li’s wife making a fuss and monopolizing the cattle every day.

Wen Zibo said earnestly, "Brother Li Xiang, don't hand over all your money to your mother. You should be more careful."

Li Xiang's mother, Granny Li, favored her eldest son, Li Qi, and despite the objections of her other three sons, sent Li Qi's son, Li Siwen, to a private school for his early education.

Li Siwen went to a private school at the age of five and has been studying for five years now. He receives two taels of silver annually for tuition, and Granny Li gives him the money without batting an eye.

However, Li Xiang's wife kept delaying his marriage, using the excuse of not having money. Li Xiang felt helpless when it came to money; he didn't even have a single copper coin.

"This time I won't give money to my mother anymore. I'll go beg my grandmother to help me find a husband," Li Xiang said in a hoarse voice.

Wen Zibo smiled and said, "It's good that you have a plan in mind. Go back and tell your mother that the wild buffalo was hunted by Da Ya alone. When you get close to the cave, don't carry it anymore. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, understood. Grandma will handle the betrothal gifts. We'll say it's Grandma using her savings for my funeral to marry me off, and I'll take care of her in her old age," Li Xiang said with a smile.

After Li Xiang's grandfather died, his uncle and father divided the family property in the presence of the village chief. Both his aunt and his mother wanted to be in charge and neither wanted to live with his grandmother.

Grandma Li didn't want her two sons to be caught in the middle, nor did she want outsiders to say that her sons were unfilial. So she took the initiative to tell the village chief that she was still able to work and didn't want to live with her sons.

The family owned seven mu of land and eight rooms. She kept one mu and two rooms for herself, and divided the rest equally between her two sons.

Some time ago, Grandma Li said that she could no longer work and that she would give her house and land to whichever of her children or grandchildren was willing to take care of her in her old age.

Li Xiang finally understood. This time when he went back, he would talk to the village chief and explain that he wanted to take care of his grandmother. In order to better care for her, he was willing to leave his home with nothing and live with her.

In this way, he can gain a good reputation, and his new wife won't be mistreated by his mother after she enters the family.

As they approached the cave, they heard crying and commotion inside. After listening intently for a moment, Wen Yuxia said, "Don't go back into the cave yet. Something's happened to Zhang the hunter and the others."

Zhang the hunter and his companions brought back two wild boars, but they paid a heavy price for it. Zhu Ergou twisted his back and broke his leg, and Zhang Mazi's thigh was gouged out by a wild boar's tusks.

Wang Tiedan returned seeking help, and only then did Zhu Ergou and Zhang Mazi's family go to carry the two injured men back. Wang Tiedan and Zhang the hunter's family also went to carry the wild boar back.

A wild boar weighs about 600 jin (300 kg). Several families are arguing in a cave about how to divide the boar. Zhu Ergou's mother says that Zhu Ergou is the most seriously injured and should get the whole boar.

Zhang Mazi's older brother also said that his younger brother was missing a large chunk of flesh from his thigh and needed to eat good food to replenish it. His family didn't want much; half a pig would be enough.

Wang Tiedan's grandmother got angry and launched into a tirade, then said that her eldest grandson, Wang Tiedan, had worked the hardest on this hunt, running back and forth calling for help to rescue people in the mountains, and that her family should get half of the wild boar.

The Zhang family seemed to remain silent, while Wen Yuxia listened to the other three families arguing.

Wen Zibo suddenly had an idea: "Da Ya, Zhu Ergou is so badly injured, the village chief definitely won't let everyone go down the mountain so quickly. Why don't we go down the mountain and take the cow back first?"

Wen Yuxia nodded and said, "We'll be traveling at night tonight, and we'll be home first thing tomorrow morning. At the latest, we'll be up the mountain by midnight tomorrow."

Zhu Ergou and his men were injured, and they swaggered into the cave leading two wild buffaloes. There was no guarantee that Zhu Ergou's mother wouldn't cause trouble because Wen Yuxia and the others hadn't helped them hunt the wild boar.

The greedy one's heart is, the thicker one's skin will be. Wen Yuxia dared not underestimate people's greed. Without further ado, the group quietly made their way down the mountain, bypassing the cave.